The best supermarket own-label champagnes are as good or better than many of the best-known brands, according to a new survey.
A blind taste test of 30 bottles of supermarket bubbly revealed a top trio of "excellent" quality, said food critic Egon Ronay.
Priced between £14 and £18 they are far cheaper than most big-name champagnes, he said.
The findings come as the supermarkets gain a growing slice of Britain's total champagne market. They took 64% of all money spent on champagne stores in the year to October 7, 2006 compared to 59% the previous year, latest figures from independent analysts AC Nielsen show.
Ronay described the range and quality of supermarket champagnes as "a revelation".
"It would certainly be a mistake to buy the well-known brands just because of the name on the label when some of the supermarket champagnes stand up to them very well. Those which were in the first three are as good or better than some of the best," he said.
A total of 30 different bottles were tested from samples provided by Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Wm Morrison, Waitrose, M&S, Aldi and Somerfield.
Britain is the world's largest importer of champagne ahead of the US and Germany, according to the Champagne Information Bureau. Our champagne consumption is second only to that of France.
The blind taste test, invigilated by the Press Association, was held at The Dorchester hotel on London's Park Lane over three sessions.
Ronay's blind taste test showed the top three champagnes were: M&S Champagne de St Gall Premier Cru Brut, £14.99 to December 31. Non-promotion price £19.99; Sainsbury's Vintage 1999 Blanc de Blancs Brut, £17.99; Sainsbury's Blanc de Noirs Brut, £13.99. Sainsbury's Champagne Rose, £16.29, was named the best rose of those tested.
